


The Magical Tale of Chihiro, the Muggle - born Witch

by midora_catlover1992



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Majo no Takkyuubin | Kiki's Delivery Service, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi | Spirited Away
Genre: Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Spoilers, Harry has a tattoo of Ginny on his lower back, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Kiki and Tombo from Kiki's Delivery Service also appears, Lots of OCs - Freeform, Muggle - born Chihiro, Multi, Professor Haku, Spoilers for Deathly Hallows, Wizarding World
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-08-14 10:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8009509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midora_catlover1992/pseuds/midora_catlover1992
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chihiro Ogino is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after displaying immense magical talent at a very young age. At her 5th year in Hogwarts, a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher arrives from Japan, a first in Hogwart's history. For some reason, Chihiro feels a strong connection to this mysterious wizard, as if she had met him somewhere in the past. With her dreams to become an Auror, she seeks his tutelage and slowly begins to remember what really happened during the month she was spirited away at the age of 10.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: The Emerald - Eyed Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first Spirited Away/HP Crossover fanfiction. Hope you all enjoy! Cheers! - Midora

_Prologue - The Emerald - Eyed Stranger_

In the town of Little Whinging in Surrey, where Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, once resided, there lived the Oginos, a middle – class family who lived in an executive house at the end of Magnolia Road.

Akio Ogino was a heavy – set man with a thin mustache, thick eyebrows, and small brown eyes. He would always wear a buttoned polo shirt and black pants whenever he would go to work as an administrator at a manufacturing company in London, driving his 1997 Audi.

His wife, Yuko, on the other hand, was a petite woman with short dark brown hair, a fair complexion and almond – shaped brown eyes. She wore a light pink sweater and cream khaki pants. Being a housewife, she was mostly in charge of the chores while waiting for her husband to come home.

The couple had a daughter named Chihiro. Chihiro looked like a miniature version of her mother, albeit having a darker complexion, longer, darker hair tied back in a pony tail and a pudgy face. She also had the same almond – shaped brown eyes as her mothers and a petite stature as well. Chihiro may seem like the typical schoolgirl, but she had always thought that she was different.

When she was around eight years old, she picked up a dying lily on the way home from school. In the girl’s mind, she wished the flower were as beautiful as it once had been. When she opened her small palms to peer at the flower, she was surprised to see the lily in full bloom, its once wilted and faded petals now a radiant white, just as she would have imagined it to be. This frightened the young girl terribly and she immediately dropped the flower and ran towards her friends who were calling out to her. She never told her parents or friends about it, as she knew that her parents might dismiss her claims as a childish whim and feared that she will be branded as a freak by her friends. However, this was not the last time Chihiro would encounter such odd circumstance.

During the same year, Chihiro and her parents left their home in Surrey to travel to Japan due to her father accepting a 2 – year contract as a project manager for his company’s partner corporation. Chihiro, having only little knowledge of Japanese, only made a few friends in the new school her parents enrolled her in. This made Chihiro lonely at first and made her miss her time when she was back in England. One day, Chihiro was walking alone along the banks of a river known to those living nearby as the Kohaku River. She decided to take off her shoes and set it on a large rock before sitting on the ground and dipping her feet in the cool water. As she went to pick up a small stone to thrown in the river, she spotted a lifeless blue butterfly beside it. Following her instinct, she picked up the butterfly with the thought of it being alive and flying away. When she knelt down and opened her palm, the butterfly opened up its wings and flew out of her hand as if it had always been living. This stunned Chihiro to a great extent that she knocked her shoe off the rock. The girl tried to catch it before it plunged into the water, but before she can even reach for it, she fell face first into the water.

Chihiro flailed her hands in panic as she felt the rush of water filling her lungs. However, the strong current was too much for her young body and she eventually lost strength, letting the current pull her wherever it went. Before she lost consciousness, she heard a faint voice whispering nearby. Before she knew it, Chihiro no longer felt the water, as if an invisible force field was surrounding her body. She saw a blur of silver, before seeing emerald green eyes. That was the last thing she saw before her consciousness faded into black.

When Chihiro woke up, she was on a bed, pristine white sheets covering her body. She was surrounded by her distraught parents. Her mother’s eyes were filled with tears as she gave Chihiro a crushing hug.

“Thank goodness, you’re all right!” Mrs. Ogino sobbed before letting her go and glaring at her daughter, “Chihiro, how could you be so careless with yourself?!”

Chihiro winced at her mother’s hen – like behavior. She slowly sat up with the help of her father, slightly tugging at the oxygen cannula tubing and the wires connected to her body.  
  
“What happened, mum?” Chihiro asked softly.

Mrs. Ogino looked at her daughter in disbelief. “Don’t you remember anything, sweetheart? You drowned at the Kohaku River while you were on your way home from school!”

Chihiro peered down at the pristine white sheets, suddenly remembering what had really happened to her. Flashbacks of silver and green filled her memories, prompting her to think who or what was that thing that saved her.

“Mum? Dad? Was there someone with green eyes who was with me?”

Her parents exchanged odd looks at each other before looking back at their daughter, staring at her as though she had grown an extra head.

“Green eyes?” Mr. Ogino asked.

Chihiro nodded. “I sort of remembered falling into the river before seeing someone with green eyes pass me by in the water. I even felt something around me and I heard a voice---”

“A voice?” Mrs. Ogino interrupted.

"It was whispering something,” Chihiro responded weakly, “I wasn’t sure what it said…”

Mr. Ogino ruffled his daughter’s hair affectionately. “Honey, there was no one with green eyes when you were taken here.”

“But, dad! I swear---!” Chihiro began before being silenced by her mother.

“Hush now, Chihiro.” Mrs. Ogino rebuked, “Get some rest and we’re going home first thing tomorrow morning.”

As Chihiro sulked and laid back in bed, dreams of the emerald – eyed stranger plagued her mind. Two years after that incident, Chihiro is now on a plane back to England, memories of the stranger slowly fading away in her head. She did, however, wondered where she got a certain purple hair tie that she has been wearing ever since getting lost while moving away to a new neighborhood and realized that a month had mysteriously passed by, leaving her father distraught that he’ll be sacked from his job (which he luckily did not). For some reason, she had a great affinity and a sense of yearning towards it and would wear it every single day. It was as though she felt she was missing something and she could not fathom what it was.

 


	2. Of Muggle - Borns and Wands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chihiro gets a visit from the Headmistress of Hogwarts and is informed of her acceptance. Thus begins Chihiro's journey to Diagon Alley to get all of her stuff and of course, a new wand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to get Hagrid's accent right...but I dunno... :(
> 
> Abe no Seimei, who is briefly mentioned in this chapter, happens to be a real person. Here's the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abe_no_Seimei

Chapter 1 – Of Muggle – Borns and Wands

  
_January 30, 2002_

Chihiro was celebrating her 11th birthday with her parents, opening presents her friends and relatives sent her, when they heard a knock from the door.

“That must be Akiko. She said she’ll be dropping by.” Mr. Ogino said before striding towards the door. As Chihiro walked towards the door and beside her father, she saw a tall stern – faced woman clad in emerald robes, her graying hair neatly tied up in a bun. At that moment, Chihiro knew this woman was certainly not someone to cross.

“Good day, Madam,” Mr. Ogino greeted, eyeing the woman’s attire suspiciously, “How may I help you?”

“Good day,” the woman spoke, an air of sternness present in her voice, “I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

“Hogwarts?” Chihiro repeated with uncertainty, slightly intimidated by the woman’s presence.

“Oh, we are so delighted to have your company, Madam,” Mrs. Ogino said in a cheerful voice, although she was eyeing the woman named Professor McGonagall suspiciously as well, “Would you please join us for tea? We were just celebrating our Chihiro’s birthday.”

The woman made a small smile. “I would be delighted to.” She replied, stepping inside the house, “There is much to discuss about your daughter.”

Chihiro looked up at the woman. “Me?” the girl queried.

“May I ask, what is it about my daughter that you want to discuss?” Mr. Ogino asked suspiciously as he closed the door.

**

“She has what?” Mr. Ogino exclaimed.

“Ms. Ogino has special abilities,” Professor McGonagall replied, “Abilities which she may have performed knowingly or unknowingly without anyone’s knowledge.”

“Now, just wait one second here,” Mr. Ogino said, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes, looking very livid, “Are you trying to trick us and take our daughter away from us to some place we don’t know and do God knows ---“

“Mr. Ogino.” Professor McGonagall cut him sharply, “I assure you that nothing of the sort will happen to your daughter nor am I fooling you. However, you must realize that there is a world where magic exists and children like your daughter go to an institution to study magic.”

“Professor,” Chihiro said timidly before her father can speak, “Is that why...”

She held a wilting lily, willing it to be like the rest of the blooming lilies in the vase. The lily suddenly perked up and bloomed just exactly like the rest of the lilies.

Chihiro’s parents stared at the sight, their mouths agape. Professor McGonagall set down the teacup on the little plate on the table.

“I see,” Professor McGonagall said serenely, “You show great magical talent as a Muggle - Born.”

“Muggle - Born?” Chihiro repeated.

“You are born from non – magical or Muggle parents, such as your mother and father.” Professor McGonagall replied, “However, you possess magical abilities.”

Mrs. Ogino, who was still on a state of trance after what she saw, suddenly snapped out of it and muttered, “Ch…chihiro…why didn’t you tell us?”

At this, Chihiro hung her head down, and it was as if tears were threatening to spill from her eyes.

“I…don’t want to be called a freak.” She said softly, wiping a single tear with her sleeve.

Mrs. Ogino quickly raced to her daughter’s side, enveloping her in a warm embrace. “Oh, sweatheart! We would never think of you as a freak. You’re still our daughter no matter what.” she whispered, wiping Chihiro’s tears away.

“I assure you that many children just like you end up to become accomplished witches of their time, Ms. Ogino.” Professor McGonagall said before pulling out an envelope from beneath her robes. She handed the envelope to Chihiro, who took it gingerly from her hand.

“That contains your acceptance letter and the list of books and equipment needed for your First Year at Hogwarts.” Professor McGonagall began as Chihiro opened the envelope and took out 2 pieces of parchment which contained her acceptance letter and the list of books and equipment needed, “A representative from the school will come in the next week to show you the way to Diagon Alley.”

Chihiro read her acceptance letter at Hogwarts, then read the list of requirements needed. “Blimey, I wonder how much are these.” she muttered to herself as her eyes laid on A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot and Standard Book of Spells Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk.

“You may exchange your money for wizard currency at Gringotts, the Wizarding bank when you reach Diagon Alley.” Professor McGonagall replied, “Term starts September 1st. But we will be expecting a correspondence from you by July 31st.”

**  
For Chihiro, everything was a blur from the time she found out she was a witch to a week later, where she and her parents are now standing in the middle of Diagon Alley. Chihiro and her parents were in awe of the witches and wizards clad in colorful robes and the lines of shops that sold items that Chihiro never saw before in her home world.

Chihiro was especially thankful to the man who introduced himself as “Hagrid”, who showed them the way to Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron, a pub that Chihiro swore she never saw before when she passed by London with her parents. At first, they were intimidated by Hagrid’s gargantuan size, but they eventually relented when Hagrid briefly explained his Giant and wizarding heritage, and the warmth he radiated towards them reminded Chihiro of someone she knew in the past, although she could not point out who.

They had just exited The Magical Menagerie where Chihiro bought a small gray rat she decided to name “Boh”. As to why, she did not exactly know. “I felt it’s a perfect name. Besides, he seems to like it.” Was all the girl replied when the rat sniffed and snuggled on her finger.

Chihiro pushed her small trolley containing her books and an assortment of magical equipment from Flourish & Blotts, as well as the small carrier containing Boh, trying to keep up with Hagrid’s wide strides as they passed through the busy street, going towards a shop in the corner called Ollivander’s.

“We’re headin’ to Ollivander’s.” Hagrid said, “Best wandmakers in the Wizardin’ community. Many popular witches an’ wizards got their wand there, like Harry Potter.”

Chihiro nodded, making a glance towards a poster of a book called The Boy Who Lived by Dennis Creevey hanging at the window of Flourish & Blotts, which Hagrid insisted on buying for her, despite her protests, as a “birthday present”. She later found out from Hagrid that Dennis’ older brother, Colin, died fighting against a dark Wizard named Voldemort in the Wizarding War 4 years ago. Now a journalist for the The Daily Prophet, Dennis thought it best to write a book retelling the story and dedicating it in his brother’s memory. (Chihiro almost teared up at the thought.)

“Yuko,” Mr. Ogino, who was going towards Rosa Lee’s Teabag, “Let’s go to this teashop. They might have some herbal green tea.”

“All right, honey!” Yuko called back in reply before turning to Chihiro, “Chihiro, dear, you can go ahead with Mr. Hagrid and meet us at the teashop when you’re done buying your wand.” She then turned on her heel and disappeared with her husband into the teashop.

As Chihiro and Hagrid walked towards the wand shop, Hagrid said, “Well, blimey! I din’ know yer mum an’ dad like tea. I’d probably let ya send some of my special tea or summat when ya go home for summer.”

Chihiro snorted. “Both my parents like tea so much, especially dad. He likes herbal green tea because he thinks it can help him lose weight aside from calming his nerves.” She replied.

They finally stopped in front of Ollivander’s. “Ya go ahead in there, Chihiro.” Hagrid said as he took the trolley from her, “I’ll be waitin’ out here.”

Chihiro nodded and proceeded to enter the shop. Her eyes fell upon countless boxes stocked in tall shelves and she was in awe at how big the place was. She approached an empty counter and tapped the bell, waiting for the shopkeeper to appear.

“Hello?” Chihiro called out, wondering if the shopkeeper was even in. Suddenly, an elderly man whisked into view from atop a ladder by the shelves, eyeing the young girl with keen interest.

“Ah, hello Muggle – Born,” the man said serenely, “How may I be of service to you?”

‘How did he know…?’ Chihiro thought, dumbfounded by the man’s clairvoyance, but immediately shook it off, thinking that the man must of course be a wizard and can obviously tell which customer comes in.

“I…I’m looking for a wand, sir.” Chihiro replied softly, “You must be Mr…Ollivander?”

“Indeed, I am.” The man replied, a twinkle visible in his pale silver eyes as he climbed down the ladder and approached the girl, “And you are?”  
At that, Chihiro straightened up, “Chihiro, sir. Chihiro Ogino.”

"Ah, well then, Ms. Ogino,” Mr. Ollivander turned towards the shelves and pulled out a box from the columns. Opening the box, he pulled out a wand with wood of rose gold color and handed it to the young girl.

“Try this.” Mr. Ollivander said, “10 and ½ inch, cherry wood, core of dragon heartstring. A very prized possession indeed for wizarding students of Mahoutokoro in Japan.”

Chihiro eyed the wand and was in awe that a wizarding school also exists in her parents’ home country. Chihiro then looked up to Mr. Ollivander, giving him an inquiring look.

“Well, go on, child!” Mr. Ollivander said with slight impatience, “Give it a swish!”

Chihiro gave the wand a swish, just as she was told to do. The wand produced a jet of yellow light zapped from the tip of the wand and jetted towards a crystal ball and it immediately shattered, making a defeaning sound as it did.

Mr. Ollivander shook his head. “No, no. Not that one.” He muttered as he gingerly took the wand from Chihiro’s hand, who looked mortified at the sight.

“Well, that’s too bad.” Mr. Ollivander said as he returned the wand in its proper place, “A cherry wand with a core of dragon heartstring is very powerful indeed. Quite lethal, perhaps, though only a person with exceptional self – control and strength of mind can master it.”

Chihiro sulked at the thought, although Mr. Ollivander’s words that rang in her head echoed the truth. She was no longer the little girl who would constantly whine and complain about everything. However, she still had a lot to learn about controlling her emotions.

Mr. Ollivander handed another wand. It was lighter in color, almost silvery white, and felt as if it was made of pine cones.

“11 inches, Yew, core of unicorn hair.” Mr. Ollivander said, “Very notorious as many witches and wizards who owned yew wands were involved in the Dark Arts, but there are others who owned yew wands that are very fierce protectors of others.”

Chihiro gave the yew wand a swish, slightly cringing as she was expecting another blast just like the other wand. However, she was surprised that the wand only released a few white sparks.

Mr. Ollivander shook his head. “Not that one either.” He said as he took the wand from Chihiro and returning it to the shelf. “I must tell you, though,” he began, “Unicorn hair do not make good use with the Dark Arts.”

He picked a third box and Chihiro noticed that he looked contemplative as he looked at the wand inside the box. He finally turned to Chihiro after a while, handing the wand to her with a pensive expression.

“11 and ½ inch, Holly, core of Riu scale.” Mr. Ollivander said solemnly, “The fascinating thing about this wand is that its core is extremely rare, in fact this wand has been here even before I took over as shopkeeper. No witch or wizard has mastered such wand. My shop almost burned down 25 years ago because of it to the point that I decided not to sell it to anyone to prevent such things happening in the future. However,” he added sharply, nodding at the wand, “Something tells me that may not happen today.”

Chihiro gulped a the thought. “Well, we certainly hope that won’t happen.” She said nervously, gingerly taking the wand from the shopkeeper. As soon as she gripped the wand, a flash of white light suddenly enveloped her and she found herself not in Ollivander’s anymore but instead, she found herself up in the night sky, cold wind whipping through her face. She realized she was flying and when she looked down she was on top of a silvery white dragon, green mane whipping through the wind. Its piercing emerald gaze staring straight. Before Chihiro could even open her mouth to talk to the dragon, another flash of white light and she finds herself back in the shop, seemingly in a trance that she almost lost balance and had to hold on to the counter to prevent herself from falling. Wand still in hand, she looked at a very ecstatic Mr. Ollivander, beaming at her.

“Mr…O – ollivander?”Chihiro murmured, not knowing what question to ask, “What…how…?”

“Merlin’s Beard,” Mr. Ollivander said serenely, taking the wand from Chihiro’s hand to put it inside the box and hand it to her, “It seemed like it waited for centuries to be finally united with its true master and fiercely rejected those who would try to subdue it.”

"Wait,” Chihiro said inquisitively, “So wands have minds of their own that they can choose whoever they want to be their master?”

“Indeed they do, Ms. Ogino.” Mr. Ollivander replied, “The wand chooses the wizard, as I have always told my previous customers. However, it is rare for a wand to wait for its owner for long periods of time.”

“I wonder why.” Was all Chihiro said, mainly to herself, but the shopkeeper heard it.

“Your wand’s core, the Riu scale, originated from a rare dragon breed only native in Japan.” Mr. Ollivander replied, “In fact, one book written by the wizard Abe no Seimei have referred to the Riu as a river spirit.”

“A river spirit?” Chihiro repeated, “You mean they’re like guardians of a river?”

Mr. Ollivander nodded. “They are guardians of their own respective rivers, until that river is severely polluted or gone, that is.” He said, “It is unfortunate that the Riu are a dying breed and few of the surviving ones fled to different parts of the world to inhabit a new river.

"However this particular wand's core came from one particular Riu.” Mr. Ollivander continued, “You see, Riu do not like to impart their scales to a wand maker, as that significantly decreases their magical potency. However, there was only one Riu generous enough to impart only one scale to my grandfather Gerbold Ollivander in one of his conquests in Japan in 1864. He advised my grandfather that the wand should be made with the wood of Holly or Cherry and be given to the person with the purest of hearts and who will not sway into the Dark Arts.”

“But that could be anyone, Mr. Ollivander.” Chihiro argued, “Why would it choose me?”

“Like I said, Ms. Ogino,” Mr. Ollivander replied sharply, “The wand chooses the wizard. Just like a dragon that chose its mate, the wand chose you to be its master.”

Feeling as though she had gotten all of the answers to her burning questions, Chihiro rummaged her pockets for 7 galleons. “Thank you very much, Mr. Ollivander. It was a pleasure meeting you.” Chihiro said curtly as she took the box that contained her wand.

"The pleasure is mine, Ms. Ogino,” Mr. Ollivander said in reply, “Although I must impart one last piece of information about your wand.

“One who is wielding a wand made of holly must be prepared to face imminent danger.” Mr. Ollivander said darkly, “This wand is not for the weak – willed but to those prepared to risk everything they have. But with the Riu scale, I must say it will serve to light your path on your journey.”

Chihiro, a little bit frightened by Mr. Ollivander’s ominous words, gave a frantic nod before giving a hurried “Thanks!” and running out of the store and towards Hagrid.

“Blimey, Chihiro!” Hagrid exclaimed, “Ya look like ya seen a thestral!”

Chihiro looked up at the half – giant with a puzzled look. “A what?” she asked.

“Nevermind, now, kid.” Hagrid said hastily with a wave of his hand, “Let’s go to yer mum an’ dad before they get worried.”

They both headed to the tea shop where Chihiro’s parents were waving at the two.

**  
That night, Chihiro was still awake, hugging her knees as she tried to distract herself from Mr. Ollivander’s ominous words by reading a chapter from The Boy Who Lived, where it discusses Harry’s life with the Dursleys, who coincidentally, lived just a couple of blocks away from their residence. But even this did not serve to distract Chihiro, and she began to think whether it was the right decision to learn magic. But something in her mind was telling her that it was the right choice and she should not worry.

‘Besides, I’ll be learning to defend myself somehow.’ Chihiro thought with a sigh as she began reading the passage where Harry Potter is attending his first day at Hogwarts and gets sorted into Gryffindor after a battle with the Sorting Hat not to put him in Slytherin.

‘I do hope I get into Gryffindor.’ Chihiro thought, ‘Slytherin doesn’t seem like a good sort to deal with from the looks of it.’

Chihiro felt something tugging at her plaid white shirt and looked down to see Boh trying to climb on her lap.

The girl smiled and picked Boh up and petted it before going to the other end of the room and setting it into its new house, which she bought in the Magical Menagerie. "Time to sleep, Boh." she whispered before climbing back into her own bed.

Finally, sleep caught on with Chihiro and she finally decided to close the book and setting it on the nightstand. Giving one last glance at Harry Potter’s smiling portrait, she turned the light off her nightstand lamp and threw the covers over her head, letting sleep take over her body.

 

 


	3. The Riu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chihiro is now a 5th year and hears about a mysterious but powerful wizard from Japan coming to replace Harry Potter as the DADA teacher. She ventures into Hogsmeade, where she gets lost and is attacked by werewolves. Who can save her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chihiro finally meets the dragon. (Plus Kiki and Tombo's first appearance!)

Chapter 2 – The Riu

December 2006

"Oi, Chihiro!”

Chihiro paused her strides, her Hogwarts robes and winter cloak billowing against the chilly December air, and glanced back towards the direction of the voice, only to see a black – haired witch waving and running towards her at the same time, her books in tow.

“Kiki!” Chihiro exclaimed, a faint fog puffing from her mouth as she greeted her best friend with an arm around the shoulder before starting to walk along the freezing open hallways by the snow - blanketed courtyard, “Thought you wouldn’t come out after Professor Longbottom chewed you out over accidentally pulling out that Mandrake root and scaring poor Lilia Danes out of her wits.”

“Oh, Chi!” Kiki dismissed Chihiro’s words with a wave, “That was nothing! Besides, Lilia was all right after that.”

“But she passed out, Kiki.” Chihiro chided, “I saw her carried to the Infirmary just right after class. I swear she probably won’t want to sit next to us again.”

“Oh, hush now, _Prefect_!” Kiki simpered, emphasizing the word “Prefect” teasingly while flicking the ruby prefect badge on Chihiro’s robes,“Lilia’s a sweetheart. I’m sure she’ll want to sit with us again after she finds out the latest scoop I got from Charlotte Jenkins.”

Chihiro rolled her eyes. Kiki, being Quidditch Captain and Seeker for the Gryffindor team, would spend her time with the team Chaser to gather the latest gossip all across Hogwarts’ stone walls and transmit all the information to Lilia, who was another avid gossiper. Chihiro thought those 3 girls could be Rita Skeeter’s associates in a heartbeat. Chihiro was the exact opposite of her best friend. She’d rather be buried under her pile of books and prepare for the O.W.L. examinations at the end of the school year.

“Let me guess,” Chihiro said, pretending to be deep in thought, “Professor Potter has a tattoo of a snitch with the initials ‘G.P.’ on his lower back.”

Kiki slapped Chihiro’s left arm so hard that the girl almost lost her balance. “That’s not it, you donk!” Kiki snapped, glaring at Chihiro, although that glare disappeared immediately after, “Wait, does Professor Potter have a tattoo on his lower back?”

At that, Chihiro sniggered until peels of laughter erupted from her, prompting Kiki to playfully shove Chihiro to the side and almost colliding into a Ravenclaw student.

“Chihiro!” Kiki exclaimed, “I’m being serious here and here you are trying to ruin the mood!”

Chihiro shook her head, slightly regretting teasing her friend. “I’m actually serious, Kiki.” Chihiro said, “Professor Potter does have a tattoo on his lower back.”

Kiki’s mouth gaped open. “No bloody way!” the witch exclaimed, “Are you being serious, Chi?”

“Positive.” Chihiro replied, “I thought you’d know about it by now seeing you’re all so up – to – date with all the latest Hogwarts gossip.”

“Well, not about that, no!” Kiki shook her head, “Who told you about that?”

“Witch Weekly, June edition.” Chihiro replied smugly, “I got a copy just in case you want proof.”

“How could I bloody missed it?!” Kiki exclaimed, looking extremely livid and Chihiro swore fumes would be coming out of her ears right now, “I always collected Witch Weekly every month! How could I miss the June edition?!”

Chihiro sighed, “So what’s the latest scoop that Charlotte told you about?” she asked, her curiosity piquing a little.

“Oh, now you’re finally interested, Prefect!” Kiki said mischievously, “It’s still about Professor Potter, though. He’s quitting his post as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.”

Chihiro’s eyes widened in shock. “Really?” she exclaimed.

Kiki nodded. “I heard that Professor Potter accepted a post as Head of the Auror Department.” she said, “The youngest wizard to be ever appointed. Though I think he’ll be coming back in the next year or so just to teach part – time. This coming Friday’s his last day.”

“I reckon Lilia will be most devastated by the news.” Chihiro said.

“Oh, definitely.” Kiki said, snickering, “Did you remember in second year were she bawled her eyes out and wouldn’t leave the dormitory after finding out Professor Potter and Ginny Weasley announced their engagement.”

Chihiro shook her head, although deep inside, she did feel bad for Lilia nursing an unrequited crush on the wizard dubbed as “The Boy Who Lived”.

“So have they found a replacement for Professor Potter?” Chihiro asked.

Kiki nodded. “It’s interesting, though.” She said, “The new teacher comes all the way from Japan, a first in Hogwarts history to have a foreign – born teacher.”

‘Japan?’ Chihiro thought. “Well that’s a first. Did he come from Mahoutokoro?” Chihiro asked.

“No one really knows his background or whether he attended Mahoutokoro.” Kiki replied, “All I know is Professor Potter met him during his raids on one of the Death Eater hideouts, and this man just saved him from being hit by a Killing Curse. Professor Potter swore this man rarely used his wand.”

“Wow,” Chihiro said in awe, “He must be really that good.”

"Professor Potter was reportedly impressed and recommended him to Professor McGonagall, who hired him in a heartbeat.” Kiki said, “We must be really lucky to have brilliant Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers!”

“I reckon so.” Chihiro replied with a smile, “Did Charlotte mention a name for this mysterious new teacher?”

“Hm, I believe it’s…Kohaku Nushi?” Kiki replied with a little uncertainty, “I’m not exactly sure if I even pronounced his name right.”

For some reason, Chihiro felt her heart lurch at the name, but she immediately shrugged it off. “Kohaku…” she muttered.

“I can’t wait for you to impress the new professor with your neat tricks!” Kiki said excitedly, winking at Chihiro and nudging her shoulder, “You’d probably get top marks in the Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.Ls this year. Professor Potter’s always said you’d probably become an Auror one day!”

“Oh, hush now, Kiki!” Chihiro lightly slapped her friend’s shoulder, feeling a blush creeping up her rosy cheeks at the praise. But deep inside, Chihiro appreciated the fact that the wizard who managed to defeat the most powerful dark wizard of all time has seen a potential for her to become an Auror.

They had finally reached Hagrid’s hut where their Care for Magical Creatures Class was going to take place. Amidst the crowd of chattering students, Chihiro caught a glimpse of Hagrid holding a small animal that resembled a cat. Although she wasn’t sure if she could call the creature a cat. It had a bushy orange fur and a lion – like tail. Its face reminded Chihiro of a Persian cat.

“A’right, everyone,” Hagrid’s voice echoed, “Who wanna pet good ol’ Kneazle here?”

At that, most of the students rushed towards Hagrid, attempting to take a hold of the little creature. Hagrid had to ask Chihiro’s help to calm all the students down as they started groping the little creature, who was hissing and hitting with its sharp claws. Chihiro had to conjure a charm to block all of the students from the Kneazle.

**  
Friday afternoon came and Chihiro found herself surrounded by chattering students in Professor Potter’s classroom. The chatters died down as they saw Professor Potter coming towards the blackboard towards the front and clearing his throat.

“As many of you may not have already known, I’m leaving my post as your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to take on a much challenging post as the head of the Auror Department at the Ministry.” Professor Potter said to the whole class, who let out disgruntled murmurs towards the announcement. Chihiro, who was sitting in beside Kiki in the 2nd row, swore she could hear a light sniffle coming from Lilia, who sat on Kiki’s other side.

“But not to worry,” Professor Potter said brightly, as if to appease the entire class who was disappointed with the news, “A new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has already been appointed by the Headmistress and will be introduced next week and honestly, I would think his abilities even surpass mine.”

Whispers of astonishment and excitement could be heard at the news.

"Really?” one Hufflepuff student asked.

“What’s he like, professor?” a Ravenclaw student chimed in.

As for Chihiro, she could only give a mental eye roll as she had already heard the little piece about the new professor from Kiki.

"I can't really spoil all the details to you lot since he’ll be introduced this coming Monday.” Professor Potter replied with a wave of his hand, “But I can tell you that you’ll all be well – prepared for your O.W.L.s by the end of the school year.”

Excited chatters were heard throughout the classroom at the thought. Even Chihiro became excited at the thought of earning an ‘Outstanding’ in her Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.

"All right!" Professor Potter’s booming voice rang throughout the classroom, prompting the chatters to die down, “Who can tell me about Defensive Charms and how they are cast?”

Friday afternoon after Professor Potter’s class, Chihiro and Kiki headed to the Gryffindor Common Room to change into their Muggle outfits and head off to Hogsmeade. Chihiro chose to wear a white jumper with a green stripe pattern across the waist, a red plait skirt, and black stockings with matching black knee – high boots. Kiki, on the other hand, chose to wear a simple black dress with a belt around her waist, a red ribbon hair tie, and white stockings with brown fur boots. Both of the girls wore their winter cloaks before heading off to the Hogsmeade entrance, giving a nod to Mr. Filch, the school caretaker, who was checking off the student list.

Hogsmeade reminded Chihiro of being inside a Christmas card, with the roofs of thatched buildings blanketed in snow. Chihiro caught a glimpse of a sandy – haired bespectacled Slytherin student she recognized as Tombo Kopoli, the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, waving at the two girls before catching up with his group of friends going towards The Three Broomsticks.

“Is that Nerdy Tombo?” Kiki asked, crinkling her nose, “I swear to Merlin he looks nerdier than ever!”

Chihiro chuckled at her friend’s comment. “Oh, come now, Kiki! You do know that Nerdy Tombo happens to be the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, remember?”

Kiki guffawed, “I don’t even know how he got in to the Quidditch team, let alone be Quidditch Captain!” she exclaimed in between laughs.

Chihiro rolled her eyes. “Well, I think Tombo’s an equal when it comes to the game, even though you’ve beaten Slytherin in every single match.” She said serenely.

Kiki snickered. “But I’ve beaten Slytherin in _every_ match, so that makes me way better than him!” she sneered.

Chihiro sighed in defeat. “Let’s just go into Honeydukes.”

They went into the much crowded sweets shop. Chihiro eyed shelf after shelf for a bag of Chocolate Frogs, her favorite study snack. As she passed by a large window in a section of the shop that had few people, she finally got to see how much she has changed within the 5 years she had spent in Hogwarts. Gone was the tiny girl with pudgy face. Instead, she saw a young woman with almond – shaped brown eyes and dark brown hair tied held up in a pony tail by the purple tie, which was giving off a faint shimmering glow in the dark.

“Chihiro?”

Chihiro was snapped out of her thoughts and saw Kiki cautiously approaching her, a bag of sweets in one hand. “Are you all right?” she asked with concern.

“Chihiro hastily nodded. “I’m sorry! I was deep in my thoughts, is all.” She replied as she walked with Kiki, finally finding the bag of Chocolate Frogs and snatching it from the shelf.

Kiki sighed, “Are you thinking about the upcoming O.W.L.’s?” she asked suspiciously.

Chihiro shook her head. “No, although that does worry me at times. I was just thinking…how time flew by when we first met on the train to Hogwarts before our First Year.”

“Dear Merlin, Chi!” Kiki exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Chihiro, “I didn’t expect my best friend to be so sappy tonight! In two years, we will be full – fledged witches!”

Chihiro decided to buy some more sweets for her parents back home before exiting the shop with Kiki. The two girls then proceeded to The Three Broomsticks. When they entered the pub, Chihiro caught a glimpse of Tombo chatting animately with his group of Slytherins at a corner. The two girls took the table by the fireplace and was immediately greeted by Madam Rosmerta, the bar owner.

"What can I get you girls?” she asked.

“Butterbeer.” Chihiro replied.

“Gillywater.” Kiki piped in.

As Madam Rosmerta’s curvy figure disappeared behind the curtain, Chihiro turned her attention to a group of patrons sitting two tables away from them, chattering about a sighting of a rare creature in Glasgow.

“I heard there was a sighting of a dragon just north of here, in Glasgow!” one witch said.

“Blimey, I heard it wasn’t just a dragon! A rare one at that!” a wizard piped in response.

“I reckon it must be a Riu!”

Chihiro’s heart skipped a beat as she heard the word, “Riu”, suddenly remembering Mr. Ollivander’s words when she first got her wand.

“That’s preposterous!” the witch retorted, “They are a dying breed, the last I heard, most likely extinct at this point!”

“I beg to differ, my dear Tilda,” the wizard replied calmly, “They are certainly a dying breed, but few have managed to leave Japan and settled elsewhere and claimed guardianship of other rivers.”

“Hmph!” the witch named Tilda hummed in reply, “But if that’s the case, why is one trying to look for a river far away from its home, Dimas?”

The wizard named Dimas shrugged in reply. “Nobody knows. Although I heard that a Riu has special healing powers.”

“Really?” Tilda replied, her eyes widening, “And where did you hear that?”

“From the Head of the Department of the Control of Magical Creatures.” Dimas replied nonchalantly.

“You mean Hermione Granger?”Tilda said in a hushed voice..

Dimas nodded, “Although knowing Miss Granger, she might have found that in a weird textbook somewhere in Hogwarts!” he said mockingly.

“Well she won’t be Head of the Department if she weren’t that smart!” Tilda haughtily replied.

The patrons started laughing and Chihiro turned back to see Kiki intently listening as well.

“Well, bloody hell!” Kiki whispered, “Is it really true that a Riu has been seen?”

"I wonder if it's really true about Rius having some sort of healing magic.” Chihiro whispered back.

"Probably, if it’s from a reputable source like Hermione Granger.” Kiki replied.

Madam Rosmerta reappeared from the curtain, carrying two drinks towards the girls’ table.

“I don’t if you’ve noticed, Chi, but your hair tie seems to growing brighter by the day.” Kiki said, pointing to Chihiro’s hair tie.

Chihiro nodded in agreement. “I’ve noticed that. But I really don’t know why it would do that.” She replied, taking a sip of her butterbeer.

"But, really,” Kiki said sipping her gillywater, “I started noticing it on our first day of Fifth Year.”

“Hm…” Chihiro hummed listlessly in reply. As she took another sip of her butterbeer, she saw a blur of white zip past the grimy window. Chihiro almost choked on her butterbeer at the sight.

“Hey, you okay?!” Kiki exclaimed, rubbing her friend’s back.

“Yeah!” Chihiro replied, still coughing, “I’m fine! Just went down the wrong pipe.”

But Chihiro wondered what was that thing that she saw fly past the window. After finishing the remains of her Butterbeer, Chihiro decided to investigate.

“Hey, Chi, where are you going?” Kiki asked as Chihiro placed 3 galleons on the table.

"Going to get fresh air for a bit, Kiki.” Chihiro replied before standing up, “Meet me at the Hogwarts entrance.”

“O – okay.” Kiki replied with uncertainty, “Be safe, okay.”

Chihiro nodded and gave a pat on her friend’s shoulder before striding towards the door towards the chilly winter twilight.

Chihiro tightly held on to her cloak as she felt the gust of chilly wind blow on her face. She trekked the snowy grounds, noting that there were much fewer people now. Chihiro walked towards the path were the white figure went, passing by the Shrieking Shack. As she approached the Shack, Chihiro saw a glimpse of a serpent – like tail disappearing through the trees. Chihiro ran towards the direction of the figure until she found found herself by a large lake.

A thin sheet of ice and snow blanketed the lake, reminding Chihiro of an ice rink. As nightfall approached, Chihiro pulled out her wand and muttered, “Lumos!”, creating a ball of light that floated above the tip of her wand, illuminating the entire area. Chihiro walked around the frozen lake, crunching sounds are heard as she stepped on the snowy grounds. As she passed by a big rock, she heard a faint rustling by the bushes. She immediately spun around the direction of the noise but found no one there. As she turned back to continue her search for the mysterious figure, she saw a jet of white light coming towards her at the corner of her eye.

Chihiro immediately spun and yelled, “Protego!”, and slashing her wand vertically downwards, deflecting the jet of white light towards a branch of a tree, which caught fire. As Chihiro got a better look who had tried to attack her, she saw not one, but two figures emerging from the shadows. One of them was clad in tattered robes and had one bulging eye facing the other direction. The other one had a face that was severely scarred and lupine – like, reminding Chihiro of a werewolf. Which reminded her…

As she glanced up the nightsky, she saw the moon…full as ever!

‘Oh no!’ Chihiro thought in horror at the realization, pointing her wand at the two men.

The man with the bulged eye licked his lips sinisterly. “Looks like it’s our lucky day, Phobos!” he leered.

“An itty – bitty human girl all by herself under the full moon, Deimos!” the man named Phobos leered, loosening the buttons of his grungy collar.

Chihiro’s grip on her wand tightened, her heart racing. Suddenly, she saw the two men wretching and howling, their bodies drastically changing. At this point, Chihiro had no choice but to run.

The snowy ground made it difficult for Chihiro to run through the trees as she heard the loud gallop and growls the werewolves were emitting from right behind her. As she ran past a tree stump, Chihiro saw the shadow of one of the werewolves lunging towards her.

“STUPEFY!” Chihiro roared, her wand emitting a jet of red light and hitting the werewolf squarely on the chest flinging him towards a tree, incapacitating him. The other werewolf snarled and grabbed Chihiro’s hair with his claws and flinging her towards another tree like a ragdoll, making Chihiro yelp in surprise as her left shoulder slammed on the rough trunk, her wand flying away from her and into the snow.

When she looked up, she gasped as she saw the werewolf prowling towards her, looking sinister and intent to finish her off. Chihiro clenched her eyes close, expecting to be grabbed and be bitten to death.

But it never came. Instead, she heard a loud roar followed by a sound of crunching snow and slamming. Chihiro heard the werewolf yelp and when she opened her eyes, her mouth gaped open, forming an ‘o’.

A beautiful serpent – like figure stood right in front of her, its back and tail facing the young girl. Chihiro could not make up the details of the figure’s full features, but Chihiro saw the shiny silvery white scales shining under the moonlight, the hair from its head to its tail giving a moss green hue, and the horns peeking out from its head.

The figure prowled towards the whimpering werewolf, who had a bleeding gash across the chest. As Chihiro was able to get a better look of the figure, she finally saw its face. It was wolf – like, with its nostrils flared and its teeth bared, emerald eyes glinting like underwater lights in the dark. Its whiskers were twitching towards the cowering beasts.

Memories flashed before Chihiro’s eyes, including the figure with green eyes who had snatched her from the current as she was drowning, a large red bathhouse, a young boy with green eyes clad in a white suikan shielding her in his arms from a devious sorceress, and a mysterious masked spirit with a black veiled body.

She was snapped out of her trance as she heard a growl and a crack. Chihiro looked up to see the two werewolves scampering away from them, whimpering like wounded dogs, and disappearing into the night.

Chihiro slowly stood up, wincing at the sharp pain she felt on her shoulder caused by the impact. The serpent – like figure turned its body towards her, as if sensing her pain immediately. The figure bent its head at her level and gave a nudge at her injured shoulder, the fur – like scales tickling Chihiro’s neck. She saw a glow of white light at the corner of her eye and felt warmth on the area where the figure’s snout was touching. As it lifted its head up from her shoulder, Chihiro no longer felt the pain on her shoulder.

'Healing powers?' Chihiro thought, remembering the patrons’ conversation at The Three Broomsticks, ‘Could this being be a…Riu?’

As if reading her mind, the Riu gave her a knowing look, its emerald eyes twinkling. Chihiro saw her wand being held in its mouth. The Riu dropped the wand on her hand and the young girl smiled and ran her palms over the soft scales on its snout.

“Thank you.” Chihiro said softly keeping her wand underneath the pockets of her winter cloak, “For saving my life tonight.”

The Riu lightly bumped its snout affectionately on her forehead, as if saying “You’re welcome.” The Riu then took a step back and pointed its tufted tail on its back.

“Wait,” Chihiro exclaimed, “You want me to ride on your back?”

The Riu only gave a brief nod as a reply.

Chihiro hesitated at first, not knowing whether it was safe to immediately trust a mysterious creature such as the Riu, even though it saved her life tonight. But her legs suddenly found a life of its own and the girl found herself mounting the creature, holding its horns gently as a brace. Before she knew it, Chihiro found herself launching off the ground, cool air whipping through her face as she flew into the night sky.

As Chihiro looked down, she saw the pinprick of lights on the snowy Hogsmeade grounds, reminding her of the stars. A feeling of déjà vu filled Chihiro as she remembered the vision she had at Ollivander’s 5 years ago. Chihiro bent her torso over, leaning against the Riu’s neck.

“I don’t know what it is,” Chihiro began, “But I felt that I’ve done this before, probably many years ago. It wasn’t as cold as tonight but,” she took a deep breath before she continued, “It felt almost the same.”

The Riu only chuffed in response, its emerald eyes gazing towards the horizon.

Chihiro sighed. “My wand’s core comes from a generous Riu. I wonder if that Riu must be you.” She muttered listlessly.

The Riu’s eyes glinted at her words, but nothing more. Chihiro felt the creature descend. They had finally reached the Hogwarts entrance, where Kiki was pacing back and forth, their sweets from Honeydukes in hand, looking extremely worried. When she looked up, her mouth formed an ‘o’ in shock.

“Chihiro!” she exclaimed as the Riu made a smooth landing on its feet, “Where have you been?! And what is that creature you rode on?!”

Chihiro dismounted the Riu and ran towards her friend. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting! I followed the Riu towards the abandoned lake and he’s really friendly! You should come and see ---“

But as Chihiro turned towards the creature, it had already ascended high above the castle and flew away into the night. She watched as the creature’s gliding figure became smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the darkness.

“Was that the Riu?” Kiki muttered.

As Chihiro glanced at her watch, it was already 5 minutes before 7 P.M. It was almost time to make her rounds around the castle for stray students.

“Kiki!” Chihiro exclaimed, “It’s almost Prefect rounds! Let’s go to the Common Room. Quick!” With that, the girls ran past an annoyed Mr. Filch, who was yelling why the girls were late, a question which fell on deaf ears.

 


End file.
